How did we come to install solar power?

How did we come to install solar power?

  • Each year, students would reliably find that it didn’t make financial sense

  • In 2017, one group explained that, if a solar power system would generate a cup of coffee per day of nerd value, it would have a 20% rate of return

How did we come to install solar power?

  • Each year, students would reliably find that it didn’t make financial sense

  • In 2017, one group explained that, if a solar power system would generate a cup of coffee per day of nerd value, it would have a 20% rate of return

How much did it cost?

- Total system cost (installed) was $18,900 or $2.50 per watt

  • Rebate from Energy Efficiency Alberta covered 30%, or $5670

  • Our total cost (installed) was $13,230, or $1.62 per watt

How much does it generate?

  • Expected generation was 9000kWh in year 1, and we generated 7954kWh

  • Should expect 0.5% annual degredation, so a 25 year lifetime should yield about 210,000 kWh of electricity

Do you generate as much as you consume?

  • Yes. We ended up at net zero almost exactly in year 1

  • We need to do a lot less laundry or we won’t be there again in year 2

Does this mean you could be off-grid?

  • No. Edmonton has great solar in the summer, but not much in the winter

  • Moving that much power from summer to winter would require millions of dollars worth of batteries and a lot more generation to offset battery losses.

Winter vs Summer

  • We get fantastic solar in the spring and summer, not so much in January

Fun with your solar power system

  • Watch an eclipse from your basement!

Fun with your solar power system

  • Check whether shoveling snow matters!

Fun with your solar power system

  • Check whether shoveling snow matters!

Fun with your solar power system

  • See how wildfire smoke compares to an eclipse!

Alright Mr. Economist, show me the money

  • Two main sources of savings: avoided transmission and delivery costs and sales back to the grid of excess power

  • Meter measures receipts (power sent to the grid) and deliveries (power purchases)

Alright Mr. Economist, show me the money

  • Power generation tends to be more predictable but isn’t always greater than use

Alright Mr. Economist, show me the money

  • transmission and distribution costs are charged on power deliveries

  • power prices (same price all month long) paid on deliveries and rebated for sales

Alright Mr. Economist, show me the money

What’s the payback? Were your students correct?

  • At current and expected future power prices and other variable charges, I’ll capture about a 0.5% rate of return

  • If microgeneration premia continue to be available, in addition to future energy and transmission prices, I’ll capture about a 3.5% rate of return

  • If microgeneration premia continue to be available, in addition to future energy and transmission prices, and you account for a cup of coffee per day in nerd value, I’ll capture about a 14.5% rate of return

  • No question they were correct - I’ve already had enough enjoyment out of it to eliminate any potential losses from the investment

Power Prices

Pool Price Capture